I got Music Beta invitation (I am not a Verizon user) - Xoom General

Hello Motorola XOOM user,
We'd like to tell you about some changes to the Music player on your tablet. The latest app update now supports Music Beta, a new service from Google. As a Verizon Motorola XOOM user, you’ve been extended an early invitation to beta test this service.
Music Beta lets you store your personal music collection online and access it instantly without the hassle of wires or syncing.
Enjoy your music anywhere — listen on any web browser, your Motorola XOOM, or any other device running Android 2.2 or higher.
Save your favorite albums, artists, and playlists on your smartphone or tablet so you can keep listening even when you're not connected.
Create your own custom playlists or build them automatically from a single song.
To get started, click the button below and sign in with your Google ID: <my email address>
Get Started
Regards,
The Android Team
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google think i am a Version user , I own WiFi Xoom and i am outside the USA , i think this is because i updated to 3.1 manually .

Same thing happened to me. Got my invite early this morning.

Same here,I was checking it out this morning, looks like a nice service. I particularly liked the free music

Me 4, using in canada, let's hope they don't catch on...

Yep, same here! I'm in Australia, using a US wifi-only xoom. Got my invite this morning also.
I upgraded to 3.1 manually too (using BRD`s flashable method), which is obviously why Google decided we were good Verizon customers. I noticed that after updating to 3.1 my xoom appeared as a new device "Verizon Motorola Xoom" on the online Market site, instead of "Motorola Xoom" it originally was. My understanding is that this method actually uses the 3g model's (or maybe some of it's ??) software/code. Sorry if that's not strictly correct, but that's what I've gathered... I also noticed that after upgrading, I had access to the music app upgrade (for this music beta), and the new video app, even though I'm outside the US.
Anyway, I was actually having a few stability issues and such, so I decided to do a clean wipe and start again. This time I upgraded to 3.1 using a different wifi-only method (one of the other dozen in the development forum!) This also worked well (and is the install I'm still using.) But I did notice that the music upgrade is no longer available and I no longer have the videos app. And yes, this device is once again called "Motorola Xoom" on the online market.
So again it's my understanding that by flashing that first update, it made Google think I had a Verizon 3g Xoom, or at least that I was in the US???, hence the invite I received. (This may be a sneeky trick to get Google to activate Music Beta on your Google account??)
But now what I'm interested in is seeing if the Music Beta service will actually work on this system since I changed the setup and I assume Google will tell that they're streaming music outside the US (they are pretty clever that way!). Before I even get there tho... since I can't "naturally" update the music app through the market (it comes up as "can't find" if I select the link from the Music Beta page), I figure I can find an apk for the updated music app and sideload it. On that note, can anyone please supply this??? (Save me time looking myself! )
I plan on trying all this out later tonight when I get home from work and will post back. Fingers crossed!
If anyone else has similar experiences I'd be interested to know. Cheers.

I'm in Canada on a wifi Xoom. Have loaded brd's 1.42 kernel and his 3.1hc upgrade and am running at 1.6Ghz stable. My music is uploading to Google Music as I type and I'm streaming my first few albums. I also have the video app and books app with access to public domain books that Canadian stock does not have. Plus, we have SD card support.
I think this means that it's time all of us non-US folks donate to brd for making our Xooms far more useful. Upgrading will be scary now, as to lose these services will suck!

I wonder if we can get the APK so we can side load this onto our phones. I have it in canada as well and it is working great on my Xoom! Unfortunately I am going to lose that when I get my Galaxy tab 10.1 next week.

jayhoskins said:
I wonder if we can get the APK so we can side load this onto our phones. I have it in canada as well and it is working great on my Xoom! Unfortunately I am going to lose that when I get my Galaxy tab 10.1 next week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the new apk is readily available on the net... just google it and you'll find a bunch of links.
I've side loaded it on my HTC Desire phone and it works perfectly.

Related

[App] [3.10.09] StarPlayer (Sirius/XM Player) SHUT DOWN!

THE PROJECT IS OVER. SORRY.
QUOTE FROM DAVE (Developer)
http://forums.geekstoolbox.com/showthread.php?t=14636
Today, I have some news that deeply saddens me.
As I am sure many of you are already aware, the StarPlayr project has been retired as it is in the best interests of all of those involved to do so.
This includes all Sirius XM projects I have worked on including SiriusWM5 and all products produced by NiceMac LLC under the StarPlayr name.
While the streams and user authentication were sourced directly from Sirius XM's content servers, my server software supplied all of the value added for the system including but not limited to album art, lyrics, purchase links and the sponsor marketing system. This coupled with the clients I had developed for Windows, Windows Mobile, and the almost completed BlackBerry and Android clients are something I am very proud of.
I started working on my first Sirius XM project in December 2005 called SiriusWM5 when I grew tired of reading "Acquiring Signal" while trying to listen to the Stern Show in my office building.
It was then I decided that I wanted everyone to be able to enjoy satellite radio on every cellphone, game console, desktop and media capable platform.
I never dreamed I would later find 3 others that all shared the same goal. We decided to combine efforts and package our individual pieces into a massive multi platform offering. We formed the NiceMac Team.
While I am no longer part of NiceMac LLC, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported both GeeksToolBox and NiceMac.
If anyone is looking for a developer to work on a project unrelated to satellite radio, please feel free to contact me at geekstoolboxmail at mac dot com.
~Dave
__________________
------------------------------------
~Dave
------------------------------------
I've been testing StarPlayer and previous versions for awhile and I'm running the last release before it goes on sale. I love this program. He is going to sell it for $9.99. Anyhow, Dave (creator) has released it!.
http://forums.geekstoolbox.com/showpost.php?p=14351&postcount=1
This has been the best Sirius/XM solution I've found. I used to use selectradio, but it hasn't been updated in years and it's very buggy. The latest version of StarPlayer works perfect..at least for me...
sounds nice
do you have a mirror? I cba to register for just the cab
Starplayer's a great app! I was going to donate to Dave for his efforts, so I'll buy it as soon as it hits retail. Thanks for the heads-up!
It's released and some added features!
Added Presets, very nice!
updated version out!
see first post
Register as another receiver.
I'm assuming this is using the internet and you don't have to register your phone w/ Sirius as another receiver. But I was just wanting to verify. Thanks!
Snyper711 said:
I'm assuming this is using the internet and you don't have to register your phone w/ Sirius as another receiver. But I was just wanting to verify. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it's just like logging into sirius or xm on your home computer using the internet. You will be using data on you phone.
I haven't checked lately to see if it's been updated...hmm...
Latest Update see first post...
Where are the screenshots?
Best $10 ever spent
This is working great for over 1 month.
Anyone got a link to this? The app is not available.
Hmm... it is usually downloadable at: http://forums.geekstoolbox.com/showthread.php?t=11238 but it says "Temporarily Unavailable".
I notice a thread elsewhere on their forum where folks are having trouble logging in with Starplayr. (Running a backup at the moment, so can't try it myself) The issue is being worked on. So I suspect that's why it's unavailable and when the issue's resolved, it will be available again.
STARPLAYER HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN BY SIRIUS / XM
can someone say.. CEASE AND DESIST...
I hate lawyers..
that sucks, I loved that app!!! is there any other app that everyone's using for Sirius now?
c-apri has an app over at ppcgeeks that i've used in the past. it's kind of flaky and crashes alot if you listen for extended periods of time.
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=26310
starplayr was the first app that worked flawlessly. plus the album art was kind of neat. as long as c-apri stays on top of things, we should still have a streaming app. i don't see selectradio as being a viable option since they don't seem to stay on top of releases (plus it's $25 per device and not a lifetime).
i wouldn't mind using xm/sirius' website to stream the music, if the site was compatible with WinMo.
Heres the BS part these idiots are to dumb to understand... they say you cant use a third party app to stream sirius with, but Internet Explorer, or Firefox, or whatever browser you use, IS A THIRD PARTY APP. You still have to have an account, Starplayer, SiriusWM5, C-apiSRO are just ways to interface the channels, thats all, no different than a web browser. In no way is the signal being rebroadcast or given away to anyone that is not a member to begin with.
I doubt it's the app per se, but the potential value-added stuff (ads, links to purchase music, etc). They knew what they were trying to do and SiriusXM knew what they were trying to do. I'm surprised they let them get this far IMO.
I am so sad!!!!
There must be a good reason why you have made this decision.
I would like to say that I had the Blackjack II and LOVED my sirius radio that was streamed on my phone. I had to get a new Blackjack with the upgraded 6.1 windows mobile and now can't find anything to work on my phone! I am so frustrated and need help!!! Any suggestions??
You are a genius and will be missed!!!!

SiriusXM Alternative App?

I've tried the C-Apsiro app and it works fine my only complaint is the music is kind of low compared to the windows media player on the phone and the tf3d music player we used to have starplayr as a alternative app but it either discontinued or started charging a fee.
is there a official siriusxm radio app out there? or any alternatives?
i've also tried the siriuswm5 app in the sticky but that doesnt connect on my tp2 and the channel list is out dated. any others?
deadwrong03 said:
I've tried the C-Apsiro app and it works fine my only complaint is the music is kind of low compared to the windows media player on the phone and the tf3d music player we used to have starplayr as a alternative app but it either discontinued or started charging a fee.
is there a official siriusxm radio app out there? or any alternatives?
i've also tried the siriuswm5 app in the sticky but that doesnt connect on my tp2 and the channel list is out dated. any others?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SiriusWM5 might not be connecting today, because no online apps are working now, including the Official Iphone App. It appears Sirius is re-working all of their online content and only the Official Sirius Webpage is running now. I've confirmed that SiriusWM5, C-Aspiro, Iphone and uSirius are not working.
Dwight2001
I have used the SiriusWM5 app for quite sometime. I was not aware of other apps for Sirius out there. Can you post any links? I will search too.
Dwight2001 said:
SiriusWM5 might not be connecting today, because no online apps are working now, including the Official Iphone App. It appears Sirius is re-working all of their online content and only the Official Sirius Webpage is running now. I've confirmed that SiriusWM5, C-Aspiro, Iphone and uSirius are not working.
Dwight2001
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
c aspiro apps works for me im using it right now
sirius wm5
hello, are there any fixes to get siriuswm5 working again?
CONFIRMED: How to get your SIRIUS fix...
I just about started pulling my hair out in clumps, but I finally found a solution.
If you have the iPhone:
Pocket Tunes Radio: http://www.pocket-tunes.com/
** Not sure if it does Stern, but definitely does SiriusXM on the iPhone, no Windows Mobile SiriusXM Support **
If you have a SmartPhone/Windows Mobile (non-touchscreen, including BlackJack II, which I have)
SelectRadio: http://www.selectradio.com/
** Developer released a fix that is essentially a DLL overwrite. This method works! Delivers 32 and 128 streams, Howard is back in my car! DOESN'T REQUIRE CAPTCHA AND SAVES YOUR LOGIN / PASS!!!**
If you have a PPC (or Windows Mobile Touchscreen)
C-ApiSRO: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=26310
** Developer did a 11/16 release that for now fixes the issue **
Of course, you always have the SiriusXM App for the iPhone, but no Howard Stern. I for one am personally highly upset that SiriusXM is making such a stupid move by overlooking cell phone internet users for their service. If they keep trying to sell those stupid radios, it's going to be over for them quickly.
SelectRadio has a 10-Day Trial, then you have to buy. Tewnty-five bucks, but weigh that against what the program can do and that the cheapest SiriusXM radio in the stores is about $60. Not to mention the app uses low resources (infinitely better than the Skyfire workaround) and also does XM and about a bajillion other stations. Well worth $25 to me, especially since my BlackJack II can go from speaker (which is pretty loud) to car casette adapter to headphones to line-in to pretty much any audio system... No Stiletto or portable they make will EVER do all of that.
And for the record, I am in no way affiliated with the maker of any of these apps, I just was freaking out looking for a good solution and finally found a few, including one that has me listening again. I preferred SiriusWM5, but oh well...
At least I'm listening the way I want to.
SelectRadio has a touchscreen version. The C-ApiSRO app is primarily touchscreen. The latest version should be in the post.
I used SelectRadio all the way home on my drive (30+ miles). Worked like a charm. SiriusWM5 was usually 51K bitrate. Got a solid 128K this time .
Give it a whirl. I doubt you'll be let down. The interface is a little clunky at first, but you get used to it pretty quickly.
C-ApiSRO latest is from May of this year. The 11-16 date was in 2008 Been using it for a while w/ no issues, works decent if your connection is good.
~Eric
Oops, I said May, it was March *sigh*
v2.0.5 March 19th 2009, which I think is the only zip. I was using it for the last 6 weeks (including yesterday) with no issues.
~Eric
This goes deeper than we may notice.
I was able to login and start streaming on my desktop today, so online is not an issue.
SiriusWM5 stopped working on my (hacked) Tilt. (I know this is a Rhodium forum, but the app is the same, right?)
I had my laptop tethered thru my Tilt using Internet Sharing. I was not able to get anything streaming thru the tethering.
I was able to access the Sirius player and get things playing through SkyFire though. Clunky, but it did play.
It makes me wonder if they detected the IP as a mobile one and that is also part of the problem, not just the coding of the app?
Mike The Apeman said:
This goes deeper than we may notice.
I was able to login and start streaming on my desktop today, so online is not an issue.
SiriusWM5 stopped working on my (hacked) Tilt. (I know this is a Rhodium forum, but the app is the same, right?)
I had my laptop tethered thru my Tilt using Internet Sharing. I was not able to get anything streaming thru the tethering.
I was able to access the Sirius player and get things playing through SkyFire though. Clunky, but it did play.
It makes me wonder if they detected the IP as a mobile one and that is also part of the problem, not just the coding of the app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Not unless your cell company is blacklisting the traffic, in which case skyfire would not let you log on. Debunked.
The problem is that the infrastructure of the player is totally different now. It's still using MD5 for encrypting pass to the server, etc. But the stream targets have changed. This was done by XM's dev team. I actually made a phone call to product dev in NY and they confirmed it. They also simply said that 3rd party app support isn't in the cards, and that they are "working on" a player. Whatever, meh.
But anyway, stop trying to use Sirius WM5. Not only is the channel list out of date in the CAB, the code is trying to grab the captcha and stream from the wrong place. SelectRadio works. And, it gives you the 128k stream. If you have a touchscreen device, try C-ApiSRO. Most are reporting success with it.
mlevin77 said:
> C-ApiSRO app is primarily touchscreen. The latest version should be in the
I got an am using v2.0.5. It says connected ok (password etc.) but won't play - says "unable to load channel"; any ideas?
> I used SelectRadio all the way home on my drive (30+ miles).
that one says "no login server or bad login" next to a little green icon of a radio tower, even though I'm using the same username/password that works fine from a desktop browser. It claims it knows what's playing on each one (has a song title scrolling), but no sound coming.
What am I doing wrong?!? Do they have a support link? I can't find one on their website.
thanks,
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've noticed that sometimes SelectRadio does this, but mainly because the initial connect is timing out. The tower can be red, and I still get it. Just pick another channel, then go back to the channel you want. It will usually work fine after that. I've only had to restart the app once, mainly because AT&T sucks total ass and drops my WAP connection.
Also, make sure you put the username and password for your Sirius account in before you try a channel. Sirius customers that have the premium internet account should hear best of XM channels, but the XM tab will not work. That obviously requires an XM internet account.
Can't use the default file explorer. If you do, the tun.dll you drop in the folder will be named "tun.dll.". It will not get the extension right. I had to install, then browse to the folder using a program called The Tool (http://handheld.softpedia.com/get/Developer-Tools/File-Manager/The-Tool-Smartphone-84530.shtml) and delete the existing dll file. Then, I copy/pasted the new dll file into the folder. Voila, working.
Try that. I had more or less the same problem you are describing. The dll file being in the wrong place was the culprit. Oh, and you may want to install directly to the device instead of an SD card. I think the access time of the SD card can make WinMo progs act wierd sometimes.
The nag screen is a pain, but I plan on purchasing a key tomorrow (payday). SiriusWM5 using Windows Media Player Mobile worked fairly well, but SelectRadio is holding onto the connection a bit better. Either that, or it buffers the stream more. Trust me, I am horrendously picky when it comes to my apps, and this thing will inevitably work for you.
Let me know what happens...
hyde0429 said:
But anyway, stop trying to use Sirius WM5. Not only is the channel list out of date in the CAB, the code is trying to grab the captcha and stream from the wrong place. SelectRadio works. And, it gives you the 128k stream. If you have a touchscreen device, try C-ApiSRO. Most are reporting success with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
C-ApiSRO is broken as well. The only one that seems to be working now is SelectRadio. This is just plain dumb that none of the free apps are working now thanks to a move on the server side at Sirius.
I think CardonWare (SelectRadio dev company) has posted a newly updated version that takes care of the dll issue. You may want to uninstall everything and start over.
I did a TrialPay and chose Rhapsody 14 day trial. Got a key for SelectRadio, then cancelled the Rhapsody trial.
Total cost? ZERO... POINT... ZERO .
Oh, and I have noticed some random errors in grabbing some Sirius channels. E-Street Radio for example can't connect at the moment. Random wierdness. But Howard 100 and most other channels I try are fine. Experiment heavily.
Alright, I have a Sprint Touch Pro 2 and can't for the life of me figure out how to get Sirius or XM working on Select Radio, I continue to receive the 'no connection to stream server' error. Anyone else encounter this and if so, anything you could point me towards?
Thanks!
Thanks all, selectradio is working right now on my sprint touch pro 2, listening to howard right now.
I did have to exit the app and start it again, then enter my user login etc. and it started right up at 128kbs. so far does evrything siriuswm5 did. wish it had a screen toggle on/off feature.
above poster, some screens were slow to load at first when i started clicking to the sirius tab then channel 100, i know i missed the login page and it seemed to freeze after that, i exited then reopened and went slower, now it works on my sprint touch pro 2, hope it helps, should work for you.
Sirius WM6 to the rescue!
works post-sirius-fiddling and no more captcha!
http://forums.geekstoolbox.com/showthread.php?t=25946
Works great. Hey Now!!! Thanks
I have noticed that some of the channels don't work, and some may be missing, apparently because the channels.txt file (in the player's install folder) has dated info in it. This can be fixed by editing that file in pocket word and saving as plain text, of on a PC with notepad and copying back over the original.
As an example, Playboy radio would not work.
If you log in to the Sirius online with a PC and start a channel in the player, the URL for that channel looks like:
. . . .sirius.com/player/listen/play.action?channelKey=playboyradio&genreKey=sirentertainment&categoryKey=cattalk&stopped=no
The section in the channels.txt for Playboy radio looked like this:
99 | Playboy Radio
playboyradio
playboyradio
cattalk
when it SHOULD have looked like:
99 | Playboy Radio
playboyradio
sirentertainment
cattalk
So you can see how you can repair broken or missing channels by first using the Sirius browser radio to get the keys, then edit the file.

Google Music - Is it Useful?

Saw the announcement today and I got a couple of questions. What's the advantage of having cloud-based music other than being able to listen to music anywhere on any devices? If I were to stream music from the cloud, wouldn't it use up my data bandwidth and consume more battery power on my device? How's the quality of the stream? Is the audio quality going to be as good as the original music file?
As far as battery goes , that would be a yes ....
Yes it will use your data unless you have a constant wifi on the go
All other questions will have to wait and see .. I signed up for Beta .. Hope i get the invite
Chosen_on184 said:
As far as battery goes , that would be a yes ....
Yes it will use your data unless you have a constant wifi on the go
All other questions will have to wait and see .. I signed up for Beta .. Hope i get the invite
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lucky you. Google doesn't give any love to their Northern neighbours.
NexusDro said:
Lucky you. Google doesn't give any love to their Northern neighbours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in Toronto. I signed up for an invite using a US proxy. This is the same way I successfully signed up for Google Voice. Hopefully it works for Google Music.
I also installed the new Google Music app on my N1 (showthread.php?t=1072655), and it's pretty cool. It replaces the stock music player.
As a customer who has 500MB of data a month it's totally useless for me.
Even if I had a 5GB plan, why wouldn't I just throw it on my SD card?
ot86 said:
I also installed the new Google Music app on my N1 (showthread.php?t=1072655), and it's pretty cool. It replaces the stock music player.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The new Google app looks nicer, but I don't really like it. There's no way to queue multiple albums without creating a named playlist and there is no notification bar in the horizontal layout. I don't want my music app to hide my notifications, I don't see the point of that.
It's much prettier, but they REALLY need to implement lockscreen controls. I find those to be a must-have for use in the car.
Well right now I use the Amazon cloud and it works pretty nicely. And at first I wouldn't think I would use it at all. But I do use it on my work comp and my phone via wifi only. But Amazon does have the option of downloading to your device and they actually recommend it because of the bandwidth issue.
I too asked for the invite. As n1 user that has the wave, voice and gmail, this would be a great addition to my google pack .
Matt1408 said:
As a customer who has 500MB of data a month it's totally useless for me.
Even if I had a 5GB plan, why wouldn't I just throw it on my SD card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. Better off just playing directly from my SD card. And FM radio is still useful too
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Actually just read the following on the Music Beta website:-
Not online? No problem. The songs you've recently played will automatically be available offline. You can also select the specific albums, artists and playlists you want to have available when you're not connected.
http://music.google.com/about/
I was in the middle of messing around with my updated Music app when my 2.3.4 N1 rebooted...Anyone else?
I have it
I have the service now and checked it on nexus one and my new tablet. I should say the app is nice and the music service work like charm. You can pin music on your device so you dont need to download them again, but on a new device, you will have all musics again. All playlist will be syncs on all of your devices.
The only feature I love to see now is to sync back musics from N1 and tablet. The only way you can upload now is PC, this is my understanding, I need to play with it more.
updated to new version 3.0 and took almost 10MB of my internal memory!! Using titanium backup to integrate the app's update into ROM fails and it gives a force close...
HHmmm...I don't think I will spare those 10MB's for that one...
No
+10char
has anyone heard on any limits or anything the cloud based music will be? its a nice feature but putting 90gb of music up on googles servers will takes quite a bit of time for me, along with if there is a cost involved, i think my current set up suits me better than relying on someone elses cloud. granted the [email protected] stuff they were demoing puts a much different spin on things with the tungsten devices
I currently use subsonic which sort of makes my home computer the cloud with my music. I can stream my music collection from any pc mac or linux through the web browser or over my n1 or an iphone if i had one. to answer the op's questions about could streaming yes its gonna use a bit of battery and yeah, data usage will go up.
one of the options in subsonic that is helpful to some with restricted data plans is preloading a set list that can be done on wifi and configuring a max cache size in MB, i dont think ive seen settings like this available in the google music stuff yet
I don't see a big sence in Google Music.
Most people have the few songs they listen to on their computer, why store it in a cloud?
I think one of the nice things is it allows us more space on our sdcards for other things. I am constantly moving tv shows and movies between my desktop and phone, and if I cleared up the 15GB of music I have stored on there, that means less moving around of other files.
But, with that being said, I couldn't use this here (and I am not sure I would use it in the states), as they give me a 1GB cap per month which I always get close to or go over (then they throttle your speeds to roughly dial-up speeds)... plus the drive from work to home goes through two different bermuda triangles as far as reception is concerned (and my village is basically devoid of a T-Mobile signal, although I guess Vodophone or O2 has a signal there...). I don't know how much of your collection it will queue. And I definitely wouldn't do it if the songs can't load fast enough in EDGE (never really tested it) as I almost always have 3G disabled to help with battery life.
Just got my invite yesterday...
There's a number of advantages, like always being able to access all your music (I have 100+ gb, so it would never fit on the phone), secure backup for your music (in case of hard drive failure), etc.
You're not forced into using it, so it's just another option. I've previously been using Audio Galaxy, but that requires my home pc to always be available. This is a bit more flexible...
danger-rat said:
Just got my invite yesterday...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still waiting for my invite. I am hoping that I can still use it in Germany (used a proxy for to request the invite... just like Google Voice, which the texting is awesome when overseas), but it may come while I am in the states for a month on leave. Either way, I am always willing to try out new things...
@Rat, how much storage did they give you? I think I remember reading it, but I don't remember... somewhere around 10GB for the free version?
Storage is unlimited and free "while in beta". I've no idea what the final number will be...?

[Q] first impression, Qs about Acer A501

Hello folks,
My father-in-law showed up to visit with an Acer A501 in hand. He was challenged in getting it to work according to his needs, so I offered to take a look...
His "needs":
Google Voice via WiFi for "telephone" operations
Skype video conferencing (with front-facing cam)
Light Email usage
Netflix / Pandora
I was baffled that:
Google Voice (and various other things I expected to see) were missing from Market
Skype installed, but without video support from either cam
Netflix didn't show up in the Market either...
Bluetooth paired to a Plantronics Voyager Pro headset, but wouldn't see the Headset or Handsfree profiles offered by the device... WTF?
...the internal mic seemed nearly-worthless at first use
BTW, shortly after connecting it to WiFi, the Acer proposed downloading an update (v4.0.something - about ~370MB). The WiFi kept dropping and I had to set it to never disconnect to the update.
Unfortunately, the update didn't address any of the issues above. I suspect these are by brain-dead-design, rather than any inherent limitations of the hardware or of Honeycomb, but finding out what's up with this is why I'm posting here... I did search a bit and browse this Acer forum, but I confess to running out of time and I apologize for missing the answers if they're up here.
So, what's up with all this? Will I be able to work-around these things with a custom ROM sans Acer-or-Google-imposed limitations?
Thanks!
bmeek said:
Google Voice (and various other things I expected to see) were missing from Market
Skype installed, but without video support from either cam
Netflix didn't show up in the Market either...
Bluetooth paired to a Plantronics Voyager Pro headset, but wouldn't see the Headset or Handsfree profiles offered by the device... WTF?
...the internal mic seemed nearly-worthless at first use
--SNIP--
So, what's up with all this? Will I be able to work-around these things with a custom ROM sans Acer-or-Google-imposed limitations?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These limitations aren't either Google's nor Acer's design. It's Skype who has decided not to support video, it's part of this marketing campaign in the US where only a select carriers' phones will get videocalling in Skype. Similarly, Netflix is doing exactly the same thing, that's why it's only designed to work on a selected set of devices.
Apparently Netflix can be made to work on A500 though, haven't seen anyone being successful with regards to Skype.
Well
No Skype support for video calls. This is due to Skype, not Acer.
Netflix has not added support for the a500 yet - but we have a work around that enables it and allows you to watch video - you will need to root your Iconia first, however.
Netflix patch for Iconica : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1116393&page=5
root for Iconia (assuming your ota update gave you 3.1): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1138228
Pandora should work just fine with no Modding.
Hope that helps.
entropy.of.avarice said:
No Skype support for video calls. This is due to Skype, not Acer.
Netflix has not added support for the a500 yet - but we have a work around that enables it and allows you to watch video - you will need to root your Iconia first, however.
Netflix patch for Iconica : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1116393&page=5
root for Iconia (assuming your ota update gave you 3.1): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1138228
Pandora should work just fine with no Modding.
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the answers. I gathered that about Skype - lack of video being their choice and treating the tab like a simple smart phone...
My suspicions of "by-design limitations" were bolstered by the elusiveness of Google Voice (I did find the posts about getting that working , and the annoying fact that with default browser settings the tablet is seen as a mobile phone and gets limited page views... Why GV doesn't show in the Market, after all this time (I saw some rather old posts about this and other Honeycomb tabs), still has me wondering.
Thanks again.
bmeek said:
Thanks for the answers. I gathered that about Skype - lack of video being their choice and treating the tab like a simple smart phone...
My suspicions of "by-design limitations" were bolstered by the elusiveness of Google Voice (I did find the posts about getting that working , and the annoying fact that with default browser settings the tablet is seen as a mobile phone and gets limited page views... Why GV doesn't show in the Market, after all this time (I saw some rather old posts about this and other Honeycomb tabs), still has me wondering.
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In your browser, click the icon in the top right corner, select "settings" then "advanced" and you can change the view mode from mobile to desktop. Also most mobile sites will have a link to switch the session from mobile to full.
Welcome! Glad to help always.
acer a501 update
just like to let everyone know that acer a501 ics update is now ready for download
downloaded it myself here in australia 15 mins ago. fast and stable and looks great

[GUIDE][NO ROOT] Installing YouTube (unblock), Play Music, Play Movies, and more!

Hello!
In light of the recent blocking of YouTube on Amazon devices by Google I have put together a list of steps to install Google Play Services and the Android TV suite of Google applications without root. In addition the Android TV YouTube app can view paid content (movies, TV shows, etc)!
This was tested on a Fire TV Stick 2.
Newer versions of these applications may work unless otherwise noted (but have not been tested obviously).
APKS:
Google Play Store (Android TV Version) (com.android.vending_8.5.39.W-xhdpi_8_PR_178322352-80853968_minAPI21)
Google Play Services (com.google.android.gms_11.9.75_230-182402865) [DO NOT USE THE ATV VERSION]
Google Accounts Manager (com.google.android.gsf.login_4.4.4-1227136-19)
- The KitKat (4.4.4) targeting branch is the only one to support Fire TV.​ - Other branches will crash (5.x, 6.x)​
Gmail 5.6 (com.google.android.gm-5.6.102685581.release-56008676)
- Newer versions may work but have stability issues and will crash or fail frequently.​
YouTube (com.google.android.youtube.tv_1.3.11-10311100) [OPTIONAL]
- Unfortunately the latest 2.x series utilizes an unknown, odd method of signing into Google accounts (not system standard) and I have not been able to get it to work. If you don't mind the cookie-cutter Android TV video app style of the 1.x series it works perfectly (update: actually, live videos don't work)! I suspect the 2.x breakage results from Google adapting their web version (youtube.com/tv) instead of making a native app. [UPDATE] You can install the 2.x series AFTER you login on the 1.x series and you will remain logged in. However, the 2.x series has several issues. Mainly purchases are not playable and it crashes occasionally.​
Google Play Movies & TV (com.google.android.videos_3.28.14-tv-32800144) [OPTIONAL]
Google Play Music (com.google.android.music_8.5.6561-3.Y-65613) [OPTIONAL]
Instructions:
1. Install Google Play Services
- Open this once!
2. Install Google Play Store (Android TV)
3. Install Google Accounts Manager
4. Install Gmail
5. Open Gmail
6. Add a Google Account
- This interface is navigable with the remote but easier with a cursor app/mouse.
- If you can't navigate the interface repeatedly press up and down until a shadow appears around the button.
7. All installed Google Apps should now recognize your account has been added.
There you have it!
You should now have access to all the Google content you've been missing, Play Services to allow side loading, and YouTube free of any nasty blocking by Google or Amazon
Credits: Thanks to Moose200 and AFTV News for locating the functioning Google Accounts Manager version.
Instead of of putting all these apps on your fire tv 2 just download an app called 'SMART YOUTUBE TV' and sideload it to the device ..the best thing about it is there are no ads..
atlkidz said:
Instead of of putting all these apps on your fire tv 2 just download an app called 'SMART YOUTUBE TV' and sideload it to the device ..the best thing about it is there are no ads..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The goal of this guide is to get access to the official Google applications. The official YouTube app allows you to view paid purchases which is not possible with simple wrapper applications. While I prefer to entrust my Google account to official sources, you are welcome to suggest alternative third party applications in another thread.
Tried this on my Fire TV 3, no luck. Sad.
Trying this now on my 1st gen fTV and it would be GREAT to get the google apps working - particularly Music, Movies, & TV.
- play services failed on the first install but working on the second attempt.
- gmail interface was very tricky. It kept looping back to the first screen if I didn't arrow down quickly to select "existing account".
**
Notes:
1) Youtube works but I can't cast to it from my laptop or phone. It doesn't show as an option.
2) Play Movies/TV starts movies but only the audio plays. Trailers play fine though. I only have problems with content I've purchased.
3) Play Music doesn't show "stations". I works great with my library of uploaded music but none of the streaming content works.
I guess the intent was to get Youtube to work so anything else is a bonus.
Thanks for this guide and the links to the working apks.
---------- Post added at 02:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:21 PM ----------
One other thing that really isn't a fault of this guide but only you install PlayMusic it stays live in the back ground and grabs every press of the play/pause button on the remote. It doesn't matter what app you're in, if you press play/paus Google starts playing. Even if you are trying to reboot your fTV Playmusic jumps in there.
rcrh said:
Trying this now on my 1st gen fTV and it would be GREAT to get the google apps working - particularly Music, Movies, & TV.
- play services failed on the first install but working on the second attempt.
- gmail interface was very tricky. It kept looping back to the first screen if I didn't arrow down quickly to select "existing account".
**
Notes:
1) Youtube works but I can't cast to it from my laptop or phone. It doesn't show as an option.
2) Play Movies/TV starts movies but only the audio plays. Trailers play fine though. I only have problems with content I've purchased.
3) Play Music doesn't show "stations". I works great with my library of uploaded music but none of the streaming content works.
I guess the intent was to get Youtube to work so anything else is a bonus.
Thanks for this guide and the links to the working apks.
---------- Post added at 02:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:21 PM ----------
One other thing that really isn't a fault of this guide but only you install PlayMusic it stays live in the back ground and grabs every press of the play/pause button on the remote. It doesn't matter what app you're in, if you press play/paus Google starts playing. Even if you are trying to reboot your fTV Playmusic jumps in there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback!
- Occasional failure is to be expected
- I'll look into casting, I'm assuming there is likely a missing library/application that the Android TV version depends on.
- Does purchased content still work in YouTube? On a 2nd Gen Stick I have (frankly) astounding video playback in Play Movies. I'll see if I can play around with this on my old 1st gen and see if another APK version works better.
- I'll also look into Gmail (it is the most stable on 2nd gen, but 1st gen might have some quirks that would necessitate a different version)
- On my FTV if the music is paused in the app it won't continue to run in the background, I'll see if my 1st gen stick operates like yours does.
rockon999 said:
Thanks for the feedback!
- Occasional failure is to be expected
- I'll look into casting, I'm assuming there is likely a missing library/application that the Android TV version depends on.
- Does purchased content still work in YouTube? On a 2nd Gen Stick I have (frankly) astounding video playback in Play Movies. I'll see if I can play around with this on my old 1st gen and see if another APK version works better.
- I'll also look into Gmail (it is the most stable on 2nd gen, but 1st gen might have some quirks that would necessitate a different version)
- On my FTV if the music is paused in the app it won't continue to run in the background, I'll see if my 1st gen stick operates like yours does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- wow, I didn't know Play purchases could be viewed in Youtube. And yes they work there. FANTASTIC!
- gmail mail isn't an issue. I was able to get through it. I'm assuming it's used just to get an account set up.
- To be clear the behavior for playmusic is: pause music, exit the app, hit play button, music resumes. This happens even if you're in another app that uses the play button.
Let me know if I can provide any additional info. BTW, I'm looking at YoutubeTV and it seems to also work with this set of playservice apks.
I can confim it works! Play store doesn't work of course, but you can use any playservices-dependent app with no issues. You can use yalp store as a replacement. Gmail app can be unistalled after you added the account if you want, it still works. Thanks a lot
Thank you it worked with me.
I need a working version of Youtube TV app for AFS. I tried phones app but couldn't locate the location of the device. I could not make pass the location check.
alsatea said:
Thank you it worked with me.
I need a working version of Youtube TV app for AFS. I tried phones app but couldn't locate the location of the device. I could not make pass the location check.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use the old version, still works fine
Anybody get it to work on FTV 3 ? Thanks.
mijorus said:
You can use the old version, still works fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you please provide me with the a link for it?
alsatea said:
Could you please provide me with the a link for it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bit.ly/oldfiretvyoutube
mijorus said:
bit.ly/oldfiretvyoutube
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you but I need YouTube TV Live app not YouTube.
alsatea said:
Thank you but I need YouTube TV Live app not YouTube.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean the paid subscription to watch TV steams? Cause there is not that service in my country, I can't help you.
Hey, thanks for posting this method. got a 2nd gen AFTV and been looking online for a few days now and this was the first method that worked, but... like someone else here I can't cast from my phone/laptop. the devices won't see it. I looked everywhere in the app, I'm signed in, but there doesn't seem to be an option to give me a link code. if anyone can figure this out, please let us know. thanks!
Updated the 1.x version of YouTube with the latest 2.x version and remained signed in. got a code and now I'm able to cast to it from my phone. I've not tried live videos or purchased content. For regular uploaded videos it seems to be working fine.
iSlaker said:
Hey, thanks for posting this method. got a 2nd gen AFTV and been looking online for a few days now and this was the first method that worked, but... like someone else here I can't cast from my phone/laptop. the devices won't see it. I looked everywhere in the app, I'm signed in, but there doesn't seem to be an option to give me a link code. if anyone can figure this out, please let us know. thanks!
Updated the 1.x version of YouTube with the latest 2.x version and remained signed in. got a code and now I'm able to cast to it from my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the hint! Now its working ;D
I find it odd that the version doesn't match the code name. Version is 5.1.1 but code name is Kit Kat version did Amazon seriously just make a device with a chopped up firmware?
Warrior1988 said:
I find it odd that the version doesn't match the code name. Version is 5.1.1 but code name is Kit Kat version did Amazon seriously just make a device with a chopped up firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amazon's Fire OS is Android Lollipop with only *some* of Android TV's systems and no Google APIs. As a result Google apps tend to be finicky on it and generally the older you go for a Google app the less features they depend on (or expect) and thus they're more likely to work.
rockon999 said:
Amazon's Fire OS is Android Lollipop with only *some* of Android TV's systems and no Google APIs. As a result Google apps tend to be finicky on it and generally the older you go for a Google app the less features they depend on (or expect) and thus they're more likely to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really what it comes down to is Amazon wants their market place to be used for purchasing and can't blame them for wanting to make money.

Categories

Resources